]]>VFF to Launch ‘Moonlight Movies’ Free Outdoor Film Series on Friday, June 26 with Xanadu at Champion Brewery Company

Series To Continue Throughout Summer With Lineup Including
The Sandlot, Back to the Future and The Endless Summer

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – June 16, 2015 – The Virginia Film Festival is taking to the great outdoors this summer to present Moonlight Movies, a series of free screenings at locations throughout the Charlottesville area.

The Virginia Film Festival is presented by the University of Virginia.

All VFF Moonlight Movies screenings are free and open to the public, and will begin at sundown (approximately 8:30 p.m.).

The series launches on Friday, June 26 with a screening of Xanaduat Champion Brewing Company. The campy cult classic 1980 musical fantasy stars Olivia Newton John and Gene Kelly and features music by John as well as Electric Light Orchestra. The film is being presented in partnership with the Live Arts production of the musical, which opens on July 17. Xanadu is the story of down-on-his-luck painter Sonny, who decides to change his fortunes by building a roller rink with the help of his mythological muse (John) and an entertainer-turned-construction magnate (Kelly) whom she had inspired decades earlier. Food from Two Brothers Southwestern Grill will be available for purchase before and during the screening. Champion will also have a special, one-night-only cask to pour at the bar, and will be releasing their Biere de Mars in bottles that day.

The next night, Saturday, July 27, the Festival will partner with the Charlottesville Tom Sox to take you out to the ballgame with a screening of the baseball-themed family favorite The Sandlot. The 1993 coming-of-age story, presented at C-VILLE Weekly Ballpark at Charlottesville High School, will follow that evening’s Tom Sox-Front Royal Cardinals game. Game tickets are available at the door, and you can learn more at www.tomsox.com.

On Saturday, July 11, Marty McFly and Doc will fire up the DeLorean all over again with a special screening of the beloved comedy classic Back to the Future at Old Trail Village Center in Crozet. Grit Cafe Crozet will be expanding their outdoor patio seating for the night, and they will set up an outdoor stand with beer, wine, non-alcoholic drinks, snacks, ice-cream, and more for purchase.

Finally, on Friday, August 7, the series will return to Champion Brewing Company to present the mind-blowing sights and sounds of the 1966 surf film classic The Endless Summer. The Bruce Brown documentary, known for its gorgeous footage and The Sandals’ twangy surf rock soundtrack, follows a pair of surfers who “chase“ summer all over the globe, traveling to the coasts of Australia, New Zealand , South Africa, Tahiti, and Hawaii in a search for the ever-elusive perfect wave.

Announcements regarding possible weather-related cancellations for the series will be made through the Virginia Film Festival’s website and social media channels.

Filmmakers Invited to Submit Features, Documentaries and Short Films – Free For Virginia Residents and Students at Virginia Schools

Charlottesville, VA – March 26, 2015 – The Virginia Film Festival has announced the launch of its 2015 Call for Entries, inviting filmmakers from around the state, region, and throughout the world to submit feature films, documentaries, shorts, animation, and experimental works for consideration for the upcoming Festival. The 2015 Virginia Film Festival is scheduled for November 5-8 in Charlottesville.

“As the Festival has continued to grow in stature, including a record-breaking 2014 that saw us break box office records by an astonishing 46%, we have increased our commitment to bringing in emerging filmmakers and sharing new voices and talents with our audience,” said Jody Kielbasa, Director of the VFF and Vice Provost for the Arts at the University of Virginia. “Our Call for Entries is a great way to cast this net even wider net for our Programmer Wesley Harris and myself to find and present exciting new work,” Kielbasa said. “We look forward to another outstanding crop of films and artists this year to add to a program that has earned an increasingly strong reputation each year for its quality and its depth.”

This year filmmakers can make their submissions online at www.virginiafilmfestival.org. Once again, Virginia residents and students at Virginia schools are eligible to have their entry fees waived. The fees for non-Virginia filmmakers submitting by the regular deadline of July 24 will be $35 for features and $15 for shorts. Those submitting by the extended deadline of August 21 may do so for $50 for features and $25 for shorts. The fee for students outside of Virginia to submit a film is $10.

]]>http://virginiafilmfestival.org/2015-call-entries-now-open/feed/02015 VIRGINIA FILM FESTIVAL SET FOR NOVEMBER 5-8http://virginiafilmfestival.org/2015-virginia-film-festival-set-november-5-8/
http://virginiafilmfestival.org/2015-virginia-film-festival-set-november-5-8/#commentsThu, 12 Mar 2015 13:32:19 +0000http://virginiafilmfestival.org/?p=20432015 VFF Set for November 5-8 Festival Also Announces Launch […]

Festival Also Announces Launch of 2015 Action! High School Director Competition

Charlottesville, VA – March 12, 2015 – The Virginia Film Festival, coming off a record-smashing 46% increase in sales in 2014, will be returning to Charlottesville for its 28th year from November 5-8, 2015, VFF officials announced today.

The Virginia Film Festival is presented by the University of Virginia.

Starting with the star-studded world premiere of the film Big Stone Gap, which featured special guests Ashley Judd, Patrick Wilson, Jasmine Guy, and Jenna Elfman, and packed the Paramount Theater with a crowd that included no less than four Virginia governors, including sitting Governor Terry McAuliffe, the 2014 Festival marked a “seismic shift” for the VFF, said its director, Jody Kielbasa.

“Last year’s success was about more than numbers,” Kielbasa, who also serves as Vice Provost for the Arts at U.Va., said. “The whole weekend had an excitement and energy driven by an impressive guest list and a deep and broad program that truly offered something for everyone. We were thrilled to welcome the legendary actors Hal Holbrook, Frank Langella, and Richard Roundtree, along with directing great Barry Levinson, Civil Rights giant Julian Bond, Poet Laureate Rita Dove, and more.

The Festival’s 41 sold-out screenings reflected a diverse program featuring highly-anticipated studio features and independent films as well as engaging new discoveries showcasing a collection of exciting new voices in the filmmaking world. Highlights included award-season standouts like The Theory of Everything, Foxcatcher, The Imitation Game, and Wild, as well as a slate of top independent narrative domestic and foreign films, documentaries, and short films that continue to gain wide acclaim. Aiding the process of sharing these voices was the fact that the 2014 VFF hosted more than 150 filmmakers, actors, and other industry guests over the course of the weekend, which Kielbasa said helped build awareness, excitement and momentum that will serve the Festival well moving forward.

The coming year will be particularly exciting, Kielbasa said, thanks to the new Violet Crown Cinema (scheduled to debut on the Downtown Mall just prior to the Festival). “We are thrilled to be working with the folks behind this exciting new project, which will offer a variety of unique venues and provide a brand new and dynamic film-going experience for our guests, and for all of Charlottesville.”

The Virginia Film Festival is also continuing its commitment to both giving voice to young filmmakers and serving the local community through one of its most popular community outreach projects. ACTION! The VFF’s High School Director Competition has officially launched for 2015. The fourth annual ACTION! competition is open to rising 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students who are current residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia. There is no entry fee for the competition, which awards prizes to the three best directors or directing teams to support the winning students’ continued film and filmmaking education. The ACTION! Grand Prize winner receives a check for $1,000, and two ACTION! runners-up receive checks for $500 each.

ACTION! is part of the Festival’s acclaimed Community Outreach & Education program, which also includes the Young Filmmakers Academy, a filmmaking initiative for elementary and middle school students; the VFF’s annual Family Day festivities; and special middle and high school screenings both during the Festival and throughout the year.

Given the Festival’s rising profile, officials encourage out-of-town guests to make their 2015 plans early by taking advantage of special VFF rates at select hotels in Charlottesville. Learn more, and make your reservations today, at http://virginiafilmfestival.org/places-to-stay/.

It’s official… Programming for the 2015 Virginia Film Festival has begun!

Our Director Jody Kielbasa and Programmer Wesley Harris are bundled up in snowy Park City, attending the 2015 Sundance Film Festival! Be sure to follow the VFF on Instagram (@vafilmfest) this week as Wes and Jody take over our account and give us all a behind the scenes look at their trip.

“Our Audience Award winners this year are reflective of our deep and diverse program, as well as of our deeply engaged, passionate and knowledgeable audience,” said Jody Kielbasa, Director of the VFF and Vice Provost for the Arts at the University of Virginia. “Each of these films is compelling in very different ways, and together, they provide a perfect snapshot of the festival experience that VFF Programmer Wesley Harris and I are seeking to create, and the kind of festival experience our audiences are enjoying in record numbers.”

In addition, Kielbasa said, the Audience Awards celebrate a film with deep U.Va. connections. “Waking Marshall Walker was made by Thom Canalichio and Giorgio Litt, both graduates of the University, and stars Sarah Drew, another grad, who currently stars in Grey’s Anatomy on ABC,” Kielbasa said. “And the title role of the film is brilliantly played by U.Va. acting professor Richard Warner, with whom they all studied here.” Kielbasa added that Mandy Giampaolo, the filmmaker behind Documentary Short Audience Award-winner 28ft Deep, is also a recent U.Va. grad. Her film uses a variety of film stock and formats in exploring the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Giampaolo’s Gulf Coast hometown.

Once again this year, Kielbasa and Harris saluted additional films with the Programmer’s Award, including:

“With the Programmer’s Awards, we’re shining a light on a handful of stellar films from this year’s program that we’re proud and humbled to have given a platform,” Harris said. “These filmmakers are sharing stories and making art outside the boundaries of the expected, which only benefits us as an audience. These are names to remember – you’ll be seeing them again.”

The Programmer’s Awards also feature a nod to the ever-growing Virginia film scene, as well as another U.Va. connection, Harris said. “Big Moccasin is a compelling and peculiar look at Appalachian life through the lives of a handful of people living along a 25-mile stretch of Big Moccasin Road in Southwest Virginia. Finally, our Programmer’s Award for short documentary went to U.Va. grad Vashti Harrison for her outstanding experimental essay film Field Notes.”

For more information on the Virginia Film Festival, visit www.virginiafilmfestival.org.

The 2014 Virginia Film Festival was generously supported by the following Premiere Sponsors: The AV Company, The Joseph & Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation (Richard M. Ader and Joseph Erdman, Trustees), Regal Entertainment Group, the Virginia Film Office, and Wells Fargo.

2014 Festival Earned $174,946 in Box Office Sales – An Increase of 45.6% Over 2013 Record

Record 28,609 Tickets Issued and 41 Sold Out Screenings

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA– November 12, 2014 – The recently-completed 2014 Virginia Film Festival took the Festival’s recent string of record-breaking success to a whole new level, smashing its previous box office record, set last year, by a remarkable 45.6 % and setting a new record for tickets issued in the process.

The Virginia Film Festival is presented by the University of Virginia.

Festival officials announced today that the 2014 VFF set all-time marks at the box office, coming in at $174,946. The 2013 Festival held the previous mark of $120,000.

In addition, the VFF set a new all-time record of 28,609 tickets issued. The weekend also featured 41 sold out screenings.

“By every conceivable measure, this was a historic Virginia Film Festival,” said Jody Kielbasa, Director of the Virginia Film Festival and Vice Provost for the Arts at the University of Virginia. “We are obviously thrilled with the record-breaking numbers and with the extraordinarily positive feedback we heard throughout the weekend. I really believe that this year represented a seismic shift in terms of our impact on this community. Everywhere you went throughout the weekend, there was a palpable energy and an unwavering level of enthusiasm around the screenings and around the Festival as a whole, and the clear sense that the Festival has reached another level in its development, and is poised for even bigger things.”

That energy extended far beyond Charlottesville, Kielbasa added. “We had a board member of ours tell us that she was getting on a train in Penn Station in New York and started a conversation about the Festival, only to find that several people around her were heading here too. This just speaks to the rapidly increasing profile of the Festival throughout our community, our region, and beyond, not to mention throughout the film industry.”

The Festival’s screening of Big Stone Gap helped to set the tone for the weekend, Kielbasa said. “That was a landmark event for us in that it represented a sort of perfect storm that showcased a film made in Virginia, by a Virginian, and about Virginia, the presence of its cast members, and of Governor Terry McAuliffe and three of his former gubernatorial predecessors, including Senator Tim Kaine, Linwood Holton and Gerald Baliles, who was of course instrumental in founding the Festival 27 years ago. The excitement only built from there, thanks in part to an extraordinary guest list that included everyone from Hal Holbrook to Frank Langella to Richard Roundtree, Katie Couric and more, all of whom gave our audiences unforgettable moments.”

What was equally remarkable, and extremely gratifying, Kielbasa said, was the way that enthusiasm was spread throughout the Festival’s entire program of more than 120 films. “Thanks in part to the efforts of our Festival Programmer Wesley Harris, who once again did a remarkable job this year, we heard from, and continue to hear from countless patrons and filmmakers about the remarkable depth and breadth of our program.”

Adding to that allure he said, was the record number of filmmakers the Festival brought to Charlottesville this year. “This year our increased emphasis on bringing in filmmakers at all stages of their careers resulted in our hosting more than 150 filmmakers, actors and other industry guests at the Festival. In addition to sharing these new voices and talents with our audiences, this also builds excitement and momentum for the Festival as these people see and experience all we have to offer, from the scope of the program to the professionalism with which the entire Festival is presented. We received incredibly positive feedback from these filmmakers throughout the weekend and continue to hear from them about how amazed they were by the whole experience.”

The 2014 Virginia Film Festival was generously supported by the following Premiere Sponsors: The AV Company, The Joseph & Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation (Richard M. Ader and Joseph Erdman, Trustees), Regal Entertainment Group, the Virginia Film Office, and Wells Fargo.

Festival Organizers Announce That Limited Number of Opening Night Big Stone Gap Tickets Will Go On Sale On Thursday, October 30 at noon

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – October 29, 2014 – Virginia Film Festival organizers announced today that actress Ashley Judd will appear at its opening night world premiere screening of her upcoming film Big Stone Gap. She will join fellow cast mates including Patrick Wilson, Jenna Elfman, and Jasmine Guy along with writer/director and bestselling author Adriana Trigiani and Academy Award™-winning- producer Donna Gigliotti for a discussion that will follow the film.

The Virginia Film Festival, presented by the University of Virginia, is coming up from November 6-9 at a variety of venues on the Grounds of the University, downtown and beyond, and will feature more than 100 films over four days.

The Festival has also announced that a limited number of tickets to the sold out opening night screening will go on sale on Thursday, October 30 at noon at the Festival Headquarters Box Office at the Main Street Arena on the Downtown Mall. The Big Stone Gap tickets will be available in-person at the Main Street Arena box office location only and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis – limit 2 tickets per person. Tickets will not be available by phone, online, or at the U.Va. Arts Box Office.

The Festival Headquarters Box Office opens on Wednesday, October 29 at noon and will remain open through the Festival. Hours are noon to 6:00 p.m. from Monday through Saturday and noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. For complete ticket information for the Festival visit http://virginiafilmfestival.org/tickets/.

“We are very excited to welcome Ashley Judd to the Festival and to what promises to be a really exciting opening night world premiere of Big Stone Gap,” said Jody Kielbasa, Director of the Virginia Film Festival and Vice Provost for the Arts at U.Va. “She is truly extraordinary in this film and I know our audience will love to see and hear from her.”

Big Stone Gap, written and directed by Big Stone Gap native Adriana Trigiani and based on her bestselling novel, stars Judd as Ave Maria Mulligan, the town’s self-proclaimed spinster who lives with her mother, runs the local pharmacy and directs the town’s outdoor drama. Her quiet life is suddenly thrown off course when she discovers a long-buried family secret that changes her life forever. Before she can even blink, Ave is fielding marriage proposals, fighting off greedy family members, organizing a celebration for visiting celebrities and planning a life-changing trip.

The 2014 Virginia Film Festival is generously supported by the following Premiere Sponsors: The AV Company, The Joseph & Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation (Richard M. Ader and Joseph Erdman, Trustees), Regal Entertainment Group, the Virginia Film Office, and Wells Fargo.

]]>http://virginiafilmfestival.org/actress-ashley-judd-joins-stellar-guest-lineup-2014-virginia-film-festival/feed/0VFF Announces 2014 Program of Films, Events, and Special Guestshttp://virginiafilmfestival.org/vff-announces-2014-programs-of-films-events-and-special-guests/
http://virginiafilmfestival.org/vff-announces-2014-programs-of-films-events-and-special-guests/#commentsTue, 07 Oct 2014 15:36:48 +0000http://vff.vibethink.net/?p=1622VFF Announces 2014 Program of Films, Events, and Special Guests

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – October 7, 2014 – The 2014 Virginia Film Festival lineup will return to Charlottesville from November 6-9, highlighted by a diverse program array of more than 100 films and a stellar lineup of special guests highlighted by Hal Holbrook, Jenna Elfman, Frank Langella, Patrick Wilson, Barry Levinson, Katie Couric, Richard Roundtree, and Jasmine Guy.

The Virginia Film Festival is presented by the University of Virginia.

“Once again this year, I think we have an incredibly strong program of films that entertain and engage us in addition to inspiring important dialog around the issues we face every single day,” said Jody Kielbasa, Director of the Virginia Film Festival and Vice Provost for the Arts at the University of Virginia. “We are thrilled to welcome an extraordinary lineup of special guests who include all-time acting and directing greats, some of today’s most talented actors, leading cultural figures and personalities, and the largest collection of filmmakers we have ever brought in for the Festival.”

Opening Night Film: Big Stone GapThis year’s Virginia Film Festival will officially kick off on Thursday, November 6 at 7:00 p.m. with the World Premiere of Big Stone Gap, filmed on location in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, and based on the popular series of books by noted author and Big Stone Gap native Adriana Trigiani. The film stars Ashley Judd as the small town’s self-appointed middle-age spinster who keeps countless secrets before discovering one of her own that will change her life forever. The Festival is excited to welcome Big Stone Gap screenwriter and director, bestselling author Adriana Trigiani, along with cast members Patrick Wilson, Jenna Elfman, and Jasmine Guy. “We are thrilled to be able to share this world premiere of a film that was made in Virginia,” Kielbasa said, “by Big Stone Gap native Adriana Trigiani, and a film that so wonderfully celebrates the Commonwealth’s unique spirit and natural beauty. It all combines to make this a perfect choice for our opening night, and we are looking forward to a truly special evening.”

Centerpiece Film: 5 to 7The Festival’s primetime Saturday evening slot has long been home to exciting new films, and the tradition continues this year with 5 to 7, the tale of a “cinq-a-sept” romance, and love’s power to conquer even the most insurmountable of obstacles. The film will be followed by a discussion with special guest Frank Langella, who will be joined by the film’s director Victor Levin along with U.Va. grad Julie Lynn and her Mockingbird Pictures partner Bonnie Curtis, producers of the film.

Closing Night Film: Dead Poets Society
The Virginia Film Festival will offer a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most iconic films of the last quarter century as it celebrates the 25th Anniversary of Dead Poets Society. The screening will be followed by a discussion with its producer, U.Va. alum Paul Junger Witt, and its screenwriter Tom Schulman, who won an Academy Award® for the film. Dead Poets Society, which has won over generations of fans since premiering in 1989, has further increased in popularity recently due to the tragic loss of Robin Williams, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance as transformative teacher John Keating.

Special Event – Hal Holbrook in Mark Twain Tonight!The VFF is proud to welcome one of America’s most treasured actors, Hal Holbrook, who will give a live theatrical performance of his signature one-man-show Mark Twain Tonight! at The Paramount Theater on Friday evening. Then, on Saturday afternoon, the 89-year-old actor will join director Scott Teems to present the acclaimed documentary Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey. Holbrook first played Mark Twain as part of an honors project at Denison University after World War II. Today it is perhaps the longest-running show in theatre history. This year marks his 60th consecutive year performing Mark Twain Tonight!, for which he won a Tony® Award. In 2014, Holbrook will give his 2,298th performance in the role, and continues to change the show, mining over 20 hours of material to fit the times.

Barry Levinson – The Natural and The HumblingBarry Levinson, one of the most popular directors of the modern movie era thanks to hit films including Diner, Rain Man, Bugsy, Good Morning Vietnam, and others, will come to the Festival for the first time to present a 25th Anniversary screening of The Natural on Sunday at The Paramount Theater. In addition, Levinson will offer a sneak peek at his latest directorial effort, The Humbling, which stars Al Pacino.

Katie Couric – Fed UpUniversity of Virginia grad Katie Couric returns to her alma mater to present and discuss this powerful documentary on America’s runaway childhood obesity epidemic. Couric narrates the film, which she co-executive produced with Laurie David (An Inconvenient Truth). Fed Up features interviews with food and nutrition experts and heartbreaking first-person interviews with children on its way to taking on the powerful “Big Sugar” lobby and questioning many of the basic “truths” we have been told about food and nutrition for the past 30 years.

Spotlight ScreeningsBuzzard – Director Joel Potrykus will present his dark comedy about a horror metal slacker who flees a dead end temp job to hide out in a friend’s basement, armed with a pile of pilfered bogus checks and a nasty temper.

Dumb and Dumber To – Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey are back…and dumber than ever…in this sequel that picks up twenty years from the time we first met their dimwitted duo, and the boys are on a quest to find their long lost children in hopes of finding a kidney.

Fishing Without Nets – This affecting film from director Cutter Hodierne won Best Director honors at Sundance this year and tells the story of a young Somali pirate from the perspective of the pirates themselves.

Foxcatcher – This powerful psychological drama tells the true story of John duPont, chillingly played by Steve Carell, a deeply troubled man who lures Olympic hopeful wrestler Dave Schultz (Channing Tatum) to live and train with him. It was a move that would have tragic repercussions.

Hellion – Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul stars in this disturbing, powerful and authentic story about a fractured family’s response to a 13-year-old boy’s spiraling out of control. The film, directed by Kat Candler, was one of the most talked-about films at Sundance this year.

The Imitation Game – Benedict Cumberbatch is earning significant Oscar talk as mathematician Alan Turing whose status as a war hero, earned by leading a team that cracked the German Enigma Code and shortened World War II, is destroyed by revelations about his personal lifestyle and the unenlightened reactions of his countrymen.

Low Down –Directed by Jeff Preiss, the film looks at the life of celebrated jazz pianist Joe Albany through the eyes of his young daughter Amy Jo Albany, who wrote the memoir recounting his battle with a drug addiction in the 1970’s and 80’s on which the film is based.

Mommy – Canadian director Xavier Dolan’s emotionally-charged story of a widowed single mom trying to manage her explosive 15-year-old ADHD son and a neighbor whose unexpected support adds an unexpected sense of stability, and ultimately, hope, to their lives. The film shared the 2014 Jury Prize at Cannes with Jean-Luc Godard’s Goodbye to Language, which will also be featured at the VFF this year.

Mr. Turner – Filmmaker Mike Leigh turns his unblinking and improvisational focus to the last 25 years of eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner, whose complicated life and relationships make him at once loved and reviled by the art world, the public, and royalty.

Shaft– Part of a larger tribute to the famed photographer and film director Gordon Parks, this special screening of the film that introduced true cool to the 70’s will be followed by a discussion with its star, Richard Roundtree.

Wild – Reese Witherspoon is earning significant Oscar® buzz for her performance as author Cheryl Strayed, who sets out on a grueling thousand-plus-mile hike along the Pacific Trail in an attempt to heal herself from the loss of her mother, a divorce, and years of self-destructive behavior.

Documentary FilmsAlive Inside – This stirring film follows social worker Dan Cohen, founder of the nonprofit organization Music & Memory, as he fights against a broken healthcare system to demonstrate music’s ability to combat memory loss and restore a deep sense of self to those suffering from it.

All Fall Down – Filmmaker Emily Topper looks back at her family’s complex reaction to her grandfather’s violent murder in Baltimore in 1972 in a first-person, close-to-the-bone treatment of the incident and its racially-charged aftermath. The film will be presented by its executive producer, VFF Advisory Board Member Ron Yerxa.

Gray Matters – Marco Orsini’s captivating documentary presents the story of Eileen Gray, the 20th century artist whose vision, imagination, and sensibility changed the way we live with furniture and within houses.

The Hip Hop Fellow – This film follows the Grammy Award winning producer 9th Wonder’s tenure at Harvard University as he teaches ‘The Standards of Hip Hop’ course, conducts research for his thesis, and explores hip-hop’s history, culture and role in academia.

How I Got Over – Filmmaker Nicole Boxer’s moving film follows 15 formerly homeless and/or incarcerated women as they craft an original play, based on their harrowing life stories, to be performed one-night only at The Kennedy Center.

Out in the Night – Blair Dorosh-Walther tells the story of four young African-American lesbians in New York City fight back when they are sexually threatened by a man on the street, then are tried and convicted in the courts and the media as a ‘Gang of Killer Lesbians.’

This Time Next Year – Director Jeff Reichert (who screened his documentary Remote Area Medical at the Festival in 2013), returns with co-director Farihah Zaman to present this moving look at the devastation Hurricane Sandy brought to Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

Spotlight on Virginia Filmmaking“It seems like each year we receive more films, and more impressive films, that highlight Virginia filmmaking, and by that I mean films that were either made in Virginia, or by filmmakers with distinct Virginia ties or roots,” said VFF Programmer Wesley Harris. “This year’s crop of Virginia films was exceptionally strong, and we are proud to be able to highlight their work.”

This year’s Virginia Filmmaking lineup includes:

A Winding Stream – This music-filled documentary traces the influential musical and personal arc of the legendary Carter family from, their early days in Southwestern Virginia to their famed intersection with Johnny Cash and their efforts to add to their musical legacy today.

Big Moccasin – Directed by Virginia native Andrew Moynehan and Chelsea Moynehan, the film explores the meaning of life in the mountains, from the varied perspectives of the individual characters to the universal, unified knowledge and love for the mountain way of life.

Big Significant Things– Director Bryan Reisberg’s road trip movie earned raves at SXSW, and focuses on what happens when a man lies to his girlfriend in order to take a southern road trip that culminates right here in the Commonwealth.

Goodish – Filmmaker Amanda Patterson’s story of a couple who take their previously platonic relationship physical only to face up to an interrogation by prying friends that makes them wonder if their friendship will ever be the same.

Hot Air – A special work-in-progress screening of the new film Hot Air by Charlottesville filmmaker Derek Sieg and producing partner Jeremy Goldstein.

Wish You Well – Bestselling author David Baldacci will present and discuss this adaptation of his 1940’s coming of age story about a young girl who moves with her brother from New York to a Virginia farm following a family tragedy and discovers truths about her family and herself in the process.

Library of Congress SeriesFor the fourth year, the Festival is partnering with the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper, Virginia to present a series of films celebrating the National Film Registry. This year’s lineup includes Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb[1964], which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year; Gordon Parks’ The Learning Tree [1969]; and Shaft [1971], which honor Parks and his legacy in American cinema and photography; Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant (1917); and The Wizard of Oz [1939], the quintessential musical fantasy film which will be the screened as part of our Family Day festivities this year.

International FilmsLas Maestras de la Republica (Spain) – Director Pilar Pérez Solano’s acclaimed documentary celebrates a group of women in Spain who bravely fought to bring down the walls between male and female students, only to have their efforts destroyed by the Civil War that started in 1936.

20,000 Days on Earth(Great Britain) – Writer and musician Nick Cave marks his 20,000 day on the planet.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Iran) – In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire.

Babadook (Australia) – This gripping modern suspense thriller tells of a single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, who battles with her son’s night time fear of a shadowy monster. But soon, she discovers a sinister presence is lurking in the house.

Futuro Beach (Brazil/Germany) – Short after facing the failure of an attempt to rescue a drowning man, Donato meets Konrad, friend of the victim. Motivated by the circumstances, Donato decides to begin a new life in Berlin, but pieces of his past are coming after him.

Girlhood (France) – A complex look at the America’s justice system, the film follows two female inmates – victims of horrific violence and tragedy who are serving time in a Maryland juvenile detention center.

Level Five(France) – From filmmaker Chris Marker, whose Le Joli Mai was a favorite of last year’s VFF, comes Level Five, comes this story of a video game designer and his work on a WW II themed project. The film was first released in 1997, and is just now available for the first time in the United States.

Poison Pen(Ireland) – From writer Irish writer Eoin Colfer of the internationally bestselling Artemis Fowl book series comes this frothy tale of a washed up author forced to join the ranks of common gossip writers.

Run Boy Run (Germany/Poland) – The film tells the true story of 9-year-old Jurek, who escapes from the Warsaw ghetto in 1942 and learns to survive in the nearby woods until the end of the war.

What We Do in the Shadows (New Zealand) – This dark comedy follows the lives of three roommates just trying to deal with typical life challenges – like being immortal vampires with an insatiable thirst for human blood. The film features Flight of the Conchords star Jemaine Clement.

U.Va. Center for PoliticsThis year, the VFF and the Center for Politics are continuing their annual collaboration with a special screening of Bombs Away: LBJ, Goldwater and the 1964 Campaign That Changed It All. This documentary, produced by the Center for Politics in conjunction with WCVE-TV, focuses on the pivotal 1964 presidential election between Lyndon B. Johnson and Barry Goldwater, and particularly on the negative campaign advertisements that many feel set the stage for the hyper-partisanship that defines American politics today. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with guests including Barry Goldwater, Jr.

The Presidency in Film SeriesThe Festival is again partnering with the Miller Center at the University of Virginia to examine the way Chief Executives are portrayed on the silver screen – this time with a trio of films. Frost/Nixon focuses on the famous Nixon interviews with talk show host and news personality David Frost and features Frank Langella in a memorable performance as Nixon. Langella will be on hand for a post-screening discussion with noted Nixon expert Ken Hughes of the Miller Center. 41 on 41 is a fascinating CNN documentary focusing on George H.W. Bush as a President, husband, father, grandfather and friend, in stories told by those closest to him. Joining in the panel discussion following the film will be former George H.W. Bush and Reagan Press Secretary Marlon Fitzwater and Andy Card, who served under 41 as Transportation Secretary before serving as Chief of Staff in the George W. Bush administration.

Berlin WallThe Festival will present a special series of five films as part of the University of Virginia’s Berlin Wall Symposium, a week-long multidisciplinary exploration of the 25th Anniversary of the historic fall of the Berlin Wall. The series will include Dr. Strangelove and 41 on 41in addition to the compelling new documentary Red Army. The film captures the compelling on and off-the-ice drama of the Soviet hockey dynasty through the story of its legendary captain Slava Fetisov, and how the team’s rise and fall mirrors that of the Soviet Union itself. The series will also include Walesa: Man of Hope, legendary Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda’s biopic tracing the rise of Nobel Prize-winner Lech Walesa ‘s Solidarity Movement in the 1970’s and the peaceful revolution he helped inspire; and Wim Wenders 1987 romantic fantasy Wings of Desire.

Family DayFamily Day returns to the Betsy and John Casteen Arts Grounds on Saturday, November 8 with a day-long celebration for all ages, highlighted by a special 75th Anniversary screening of The Wizard of Oz at Culbreth Theatre at 10:00 a.m. A series of free film-inspired workshops will be offered throughout the day, led by U.Va. faculty, students and community organizations. Topics will include audition techniques, dance routines, make-up application and improv fun. Space is limited, and registration is available at www.virginiafilmfestival.org/workshops.

The musicians from the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia will return to Family Day this year for a “Musical Instrument Petting Zoo” at the Helms Theatre. The afternoon will bring an outdoor Interactive Arts Festival, including performance featuring U.Va. a cappella and improv groups.

And in what has become a Family Day highlight, more than 600 local students will flock to the Arts Grounds for their own red carpet moments as the Festival screens the films from its Young Filmmakers Academy in Campbell Hall.

Adding to the fun this year will be an opportunity to stop by The Fralin Museum of Art to see how Charlottesville –area youth interpret the work of Gordon Parks in film.

All Family Day events are free and open to the public, and feature complimentary and convenient parking at the Culbreth Road Garage.

School Screening – Freedom SummerMore than 1,000 local and regional middle and high school students will pack the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for the Performing Arts this year for a special screening of the documentary Freedom Summer. The film, from director Stanley Nelson, chronicles 10 memorable weeks in 1964 known as “Freedom Summer,” when more than 700 student volunteers teamed with organizers and African Americans in a historic effort to shatter the foundations of white supremacy in what was one of the nation’s most viciously racist, segregated states. Following the film, students will hear and participate in a panel discussion that will include legendary civil rights leader Julian Bond and be moderated by Deborah McDowell, Alice Griffin Professor in the Department of English at University of Virginia, and Director of the Carter Woodson Institute.

Digital Media GalleryThe Digital Media Gallery returns to Second Street Gallery, inside the City Center or Contemporary Arts, where it will feature video projection art and experimental films by students from acclaimed filmmaker and University of Virginia Associate Professor Art Kevin Everson’s intermediate and advanced cinematography students and from local students from the award-winning Light House Studio. The DMG will officially open with a First Friday reception on Friday, November 7 at 5:30 p.m. and will remain open through the month of November. It is free and open to the public; made possible by generous support from the University of Virginia Arts Council and The AV Company; and is part of the Virginia Film Festival’s Community Outreach & Education Program.

Adrenaline Film ProjectSince its launch in 2003, the Adrenaline Film Project has become an annual highlight and audience favorite at the VFF, bringing together 10-12 teams of three filmmakers to write, cast, shoot, edit, and screen their films in only 72 hours. Acclaimed filmmaker and Charlottesville native Jeff Wadlow will once again head a veteran mentor team that includes Charlottesville filmmaker Derek Sieg and noted acting coach Leigh Kilton-Smith. Mentors closely supervise each stage of production, and the process culminates in a competitive screening and award ceremony in front of a live audience at Culbreth Theatre on Saturday, November 8 at 9:00 p.m.

Parties and Events

The 27th Annual Virginia Film Festival offers plenty of reasons to celebrate, and some great ways to do it! Highlights of this year’s parties and events include:

2014 Opening Night Gala – Thursday, November 6
The Jefferson Theater, Downtown Mall – doors open at 9:00 p.m. (21 and over event)
Come celebrate the utter “Virginia-ness” of it all as we toast the Festival launch following the World Premiere of Big Stone Gap at the Paramount. Enjoy beverages, light buffet refreshments, and big-band music while mixing and mingling with special guests and VFF friends and supporters. Tickets for the Opening Night Gala are $75.00 per person.

Nothing says “it’s a wrap” quite like this annual highlight – the perfect place to connect with filmmakers, special guests and fellow Festival fans! Tickets to the Late Night Wrap Party are $35.00.
For a full schedule and complete information regarding the Virginia Film Festival, visit www.virginiafilmfestival.org. Tickets will go on sale Friday, October 10 via that website, in-person at the U.Va. Arts Box Office (at Culbreth Theatre), and via phone at 434-924-3376. Press images are also available at www.flickr.com/photos/virginiafilmfestival/.

The 2014 Virginia Film Festival is generously supported by the following Premiere Sponsors: The AV Company, The Joseph & Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation (Richard M. Ader and Joseph Erdman, Trustees), Regal Entertainment Group, the Virginia Film Office, and Wells Fargo.

]]>http://virginiafilmfestival.org/vff-announces-2014-programs-of-films-events-and-special-guests/feed/02014 Family Day and Adrenaline Film Project Plans Announcedhttp://virginiafilmfestival.org/2014-family-day-and-adrenaline-plans/
http://virginiafilmfestival.org/2014-family-day-and-adrenaline-plans/#commentsTue, 30 Sep 2014 21:10:01 +0000http://vff.vibethink.net/?p=6842014 Family Day and Adrenaline Film Project Plans Announced

VIRGINIA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR 2014 FAMILY DAY AND LAUNCH OF APPLICATIONS FOR 11TH ANNUAL ADRENALINE FILM PROJECT

Family Day To Feature Free 75th Anniversary Screening of Wizard of Oz at Culbreth Theatre And Array of Interactive Arts Workshops Throughout U.Va. Arts Grounds

Adrenaline Co-Founder Jeff Wadlow To Be Joined By Filmmaker Derek Sieg and Acting Coach Leigh Kilton-Smith As Guest Mentors For Popular 72-Hour Guerilla Filmmaking Project

Charlottesville, VA – September 30, 2014 – The Virginia Film Festival will once again put community front and center in 2014 with the return of its highly popular Family Day and the 11th Annual Adrenaline Film Project.

The Virginia Film Festival is presented by the University of Virginia.

Now in its second year on the Betsy and John Casteen Arts Grounds at U.Va., the Festival’s Family Day festivities will take place on Saturday, November 8. This year’s highlights will include a free 75th Anniversary screening of The Wizard of Oz at 10:00 a.m. at Culbreth Theatre.

Once again this year, the Festival will offer a series of dynamic, interactive, and film-themed workshops led by U.Va. faculty, students, and representatives from community organizations. This year’s workshop topics will include audition techniques, dance routines, make-up application, and improv fun. Space is limited, and reservations can be made at www.virginiafilmfestival.org/workshops.

Also returning to Family Day this year is the “Musical Instrument Petting Zoo,” a hands-on musical experience hosted by the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia. The fun and entertainment continues throughout the day outside as well, thanks to an interactive Arts Festival that will feature demonstrations, activities, and performances featuring U.Va. a cappella and improv groups. More than 600 local students from Charlottesville and Albemarle County will participate in the VFF Young Filmmakers Academy, making their own films with the help of VFF mentors, then enjoying their own red carpet screening experience as part of the Family Day fun.

The Virginia Film Festival’s Family Day and Young Filmmakers Academy are part of its Outreach and Education program, which also includes the ACTION! High School Filmmaking Competition and special middle and high school screenings presented both during the Festival and throughout the year.

Since its initial launch in 2003, the Adrenaline Film Project has become an annual highlight and audience favorite at the VFF, bringing together 10-12 teams of three filmmakers to write, cast, shoot, edit, and screen their films in only 72 hours. Acclaimed filmmaker and Charlottesville native Jeff Wadlow will once again head a veteran mentor team that includes Charlottesville filmmaker Derek Sieg and noted acting coach Leigh Kilton-Smith. Mentors closely supervise each stage of production, and the process culminates in a competitive screening and award ceremony in front of a live audience at Culbreth Theatre on Saturday, November 8 at 9:00 p.m.

Applications are currently available for the 2014 Adrenaline Film Project at http://www.virginiafilmfestival.org/adrenaline/. Submissions are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 17. Selected participant will be notified on Friday, October 24.

Adrenaline Film Project applications can be delivered to the Virginia Film Festival’s office at:

The Family Day at the 2014 Virginia Film Festival is generously supported by the Office of the Provost and the Vice Provost for the Arts, CenturyLink, Foxfield Racing Association, Charlottesville Newsplex, and Lite Rock Z95.1

The Virginia Film Festival’s 2014 Adrenaline Film Project is presented by Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Central Virginia and supported by the U.Va. Roberston Media Center, the U.Va. Arts Council, and the Virginia Production Alliance.

The Virginia Film Festival’s 2014 Community Outreach and Education Program is generously supported by the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band in CACF and The Sarah Lahr Educational Fund.

Critically Acclaimed “Film the Food Industry Doesn’t Want You to See” Based on Premise That Everything We’ve Been Told About Food and Exercise for the Past 30 Years is “Dead Wrong”

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – August 19, 2014 – University of Virginia alum Katie Couric will return to Charlottesville for this year’s Virginia Film Festival to present a special screening of the acclaimed documentary Fed Up. The film, which Couric executive produced along with Laurie David (producer of An Inconvenient Truth), has been widely promoted as “the film the food industry doesn’t want you to see” and is based on the premise that everything we’ve been told about food and exercise for the past 30 years is dead wrong.

The Virginia Film Festival is presented by the University of Virginia.

Using a combination of interviews with a variety of food and nutrition experts plus heartbreaking first-person tales of young people battling the runaway childhood obesity epidemic in the United States, the film takes to task the powerful corporate lobby known as “Big Sugar” as well as government agencies and representatives who failed to stop the problem before it spiraled out of control.

Fed Up (www.fedupmovie.com), narrated by Couric and written and directed by Stephanie Soechtig, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January of this year.

“We are proud to welcome Katie Couric back to Charlottesville and to the Virginia Film Festival for the first time,” said Virginia Film Festival Director and U.Va. Vice-Provost for the Arts Jody Kielbasa. “Katie is obviously a great friend of and powerful advocate for the University, and this is a timely film with a powerful message that resonates throughout our area here just as it does throughout our nation. We look forward to the screening and to the vibrant discussion that will follow it.”

The 2014 Virginia Film Festival will take place from November 6-9 at venues throughout Charlottesville. The full program for the Festival will be announced on Tuesday, October 7, and tickets will officially go on sale on Friday, October 10.

Premiere sponsors for the 2014 Virginia Film Festival are The AV Company, The Joseph & Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation (Richard M. Adler and Joseph Erdman, Trustees), and the Virginia Film Office.